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Variable Interest Entities | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure Text Block |
Variable Interest Entities | 8. Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) TDS consolidates variable interest entities in which it has a controlling financial interest and is the primary beneficiary. A controlling financial interest will have both of the following characteristics: (a) the power to direct the VIE activities that most significantly impact economic performance and (b) the obligation to absorb VIE losses and the right to receive benefits that are significant to the VIE. TDS reviews these criteria initially at the time it enters into agreements and subsequently when reconsideration events occur. Consolidated VIEs As of March 31, 2014, TDS holds a variable interest in and consolidates the following VIEs under GAAP: Aquinas Wireless L.P. (“Aquinas Wireless”); and King Street Wireless L.P. (“King Street Wireless”) and King Street Wireless, Inc., the general partner of King Street Wireless. The power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Aquinas Wireless and King Street Wireless (collectively, the “limited partnerships”) is shared. Specifically, the general partner of these VIEs has the exclusive right to manage, operate and control the limited partnerships and make all decisions to carry on the business of the partnerships; however, the general partner of each partnership needs consent of the limited partner, a TDS subsidiary, to sell or lease certain licenses, to make certain large expenditures, admit other partners or liquidate the limited partnerships. Although the power to direct the activities of the VIEs is shared, TDS has a disproportionate level of exposure to the variability associated with the economic performance of the VIEs, indicating that TDS is the primary beneficiary of the VIEs in accordance with GAAP. Accordingly, these VIEs are consolidated. The following table presents the classification of the consolidated VIEs' assets and liabilities in TDS' Consolidated Balance Sheet.
|  |  | March 31, 2014 |  | December 31, 2013
(Dollars in thousands) |  |  |  |  |
Assets |  |  |  |  |
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 2,325 |  | $ | 2,076
| Other current assets |  | 1,126 |  |  | 1,184
| Licenses |  | 310,475 |  |  | 310,475
| Property, plant and equipment, net |  | 16,940 |  |  | 18,600
| Other assets and deferred charges |  | 511 |  |  | 511
|  | Total assets | $ | 331,377 |  | $ | 332,846
Liabilities |  |  |  |  |
| Current liabilities | $ | 135 |  | $ | 46
| Deferred liabilities and credits |  | 2,122 |  |  | 3,139
|  | Total liabilities | $ | 2,257 |  | $ | 3,185
Other Related Matters Aquinas Wireless and King Street Wireless were formed to participate in Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) auctions of wireless spectrum and to fund, establish, and provide wireless service with respect to any FCC licenses won in the auctions. As such, these en tities have risks similar to those described in the “Risk Factors” in TDS' Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. TDS may agree to make additional capital contributions and/or advances to Aquinas Wireless and King Street Wireless and/or to their general partners to provide additional funding for the development of licenses granted in various auctions. TDS may finance such amounts with a combination of cash on hand, borrowings under its revolving credit agreement and/or long-term debt. There is no assurance that TDS will be able to obtain additional financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all to provide such financial support. There were no capital contributions or advances made to Aquinas Wireless or King Street Wireless or their general partners in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013. U.S. Cellular currently provides 4G LTE service in conjunction with King Street Wireless. Aquinas Wireless is still in the process of developing long-term business plans.

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- Definition Describes how the entity aggregates Variable Interest Entities (VIE) for disclosure purposes, distinguishing between (a) VIEs that are not consolidated because the enterprise is not the primary beneficiary but has a variable interest and (b) VIEs that are consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Details
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